Fried Eggs anyone?

It's hot enough on the sidewalk today...if we HAD a sidewalk. After all the bitching and whining about the rain and cold and lack of sunshine, God has graced us with some 90+ degree weather this week - apparently His mid-range switches must be shorted out so we're goin' 60's to 90's in the time you can say "MY BRA IS MELTING!". When it gets this hot, it feels to me like I'm walking in and breathing tepid water...it really slows me down, and ice cold liquids are the answer. Not alcoholic, mind you - that makes it feel like walking in/breathing pudding..gaack. The old man spends way too much time researching stuff on the internet, and decided a while back that artificial sweeteners should be avoided at all costs, and I went along with it. So no more diet soda (waaaaaah!) or diet iced tea, crystal light or sugar free koolaid (meh) for me - pretty much water since I'm trying to keep sugar intake at a minimum because I think it makes me bitchy. ("How MUCH sugar does she eat?!")

I decided last night that I would sacrifice a little of my cheery attitude to SOME sugar, and came up with the following that is quenching my thirst and keeping me going quite well today. It should be said that "stone formers" (that would be you if you've ever had kidney stones, possibly gall stones as well) should avoid tea as it will assist in making pointy rocks in your tubes that don't want to go through without a lot of screaming and histrionics, but I'm thinking an occasional dose won't kill you. But I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV or on commercials, even the kind that tell you Prolixus will make you lose weight in your sleep while you eat pizza and ice cream and bloomin' onions all the live long day, so do what you want....I do.

Arnold Palmer Light

8 tea bags (stop laughing, you are SO jr. high...)
*4 cups water, heated in microwave about 4 minutes
1 can frozen lemonade
Ice...probly about 5 or 6 cups

Put tea bags in hot water and let steep for about 10-15 minutes. Remove tea bags (don't squeeze the bags, that might make it bitter, not to mention it could make you laugh uncontrollably about squeezin' a tea bag), and dump into gallon size pitcher. If it's glass, you may want to use something unbreakable and then transfer it to the pitcher after you add the ice - glass could shatter with the extremes in temperature. Add all the ice and stir until it cools off a little, then dump in the lemonade mix and 4 cans of cold water. Stir until dissolved and nice and cold, then either serve as is, or scoop the ice out so it doesn't continue to dilute the batch. It's not terribly sweet, so if you're a sweet tea junkie you may want to add sugar when the tea is hot, but how much do you really like going to the gym and the dentist? Put a lemon slice in or on the glass, or some mint leaves, or maybe a 5 iron...don't be ridiculous, of course you would use a putter....stay hydrated and enjoy your summer!

*My son "Minimoose the Science Guy" always puts a toothpick in water that goes in the microwave to boil - mine is not a technical description, but it's to keep the water from getting super-heated and blowing up in your face when you open the microwave and try to take it out. I have heard of this with coffee mugs too, so I let him do it - what a sweet boy! He also showed me how to use grapes to make lightning INSIDE your microwave...THE COOLEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!! Science is cool.